


Finding The Balance

by lasairfhiona



Series: Finding Love [3]
Category: CSI: Miami
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-25
Updated: 2010-11-25
Packaged: 2017-10-13 09:15:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/135644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lasairfhiona/pseuds/lasairfhiona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There is a part of me that never stopped loving you</p>
            </blockquote>





	Finding The Balance

Kerri looked around his condo while he went to change his clothes into the requested jeans. It was all glass, metal and white. There was no color save for a few pieces of awful bland so called modern art. Sterile was the only word she could find to describe it, it was almost as if no one lived here and it was definitely not the Horatio she knew. The Horatio she knew was life and color.  Peeking into the bedroom he'd converted into an office she found a little more life. Plaques denoting achievements and pictures hung on the wall and sat on his desk. There were pictures of what she could guess was his team because she recognized the blonde woman as the one she'd spoke with earlier that day and the detective. There were pictures of him and a dark haired woman she could only assume was Marisol and based on their dress probably their wedding day.  There were others of them together and she felt the twinge of envy at the happiness she saw in him.  It made her wish they had fought harder for what they had all those years ago.  On his desk sat a photo of Horatio with a young man, undoubtedly his son because the resemblance was too strong for it not to be.

"Snooping?" Horatio teased as he leaned against the doorway watching her.

Looking up at him and smiling when she saw him wearing the faded denim, Kerri answered, "No. Looking for the real Horatio.  Out there," she said waving her hand toward the rest of the condo, "is not him. In here is more the man I knew." Walking up to him, she reached up to touch his face.

Horatio covered her hand with his. "Ker, I don't know if the man you knew exists anymore. So much has happened, so much time has passed," he told her as he pulled her into a loose embrace.

"Yes, he does, she told him, "I've seen glimpses of him today. I think he's just forgotten how to be anyone other than the cop. I'm just going to have to remind you who he was. Starting now," she told him as she ran her hands up his chest.

Horatio stiffened. Taking her hands in his he backed away putting some distance between them.  "So what am I, a new project for you to fix?" he questioned a little more sarcastically than he intended.

Pulling her hands from his grasp she smacked his chest.  "You bastard. Do you really think I would do that to you?"

"You tell me? You tell me how much I've changed. Are you still the Kerri I knew or have you changed that much as well," he said grabbing her hand again before she could smack him again.

"Twenty years ago you knew me like no one else did.  I'm still that Kerri, underneath all my cynicism," she told him then turned away from him and walked out of the room.  She stood looking out the large windows that overlooked the city. When she heard him walk up behind she told him without looking at him, "There is a part of me that never stopped loving you. I'm sorry if it's hard for me to see that the man I once loved has turned into someone I barely recognize. It's going to take me a while to reconcile the two Horatio's."

Horatio hung his head.  He knew he had no right saying those things to her. Everything he'd learned about her in the last few hours told him she wasn't the person he accused her of being. Pushing away from the doorframe he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her whispering, "I'm sorry.  You're right, I am a bastard and I didn't mean to say those things to you."

Leaning back against him, she sighed.  "It's been a long time since you've had someone care for you without any ulterior motives isn't it?"

"It has..." he answered tightening his embrace.  "Until now?" he asked more than stated.

Kerri turned in his arms, once again resting her hands on his chest. "Until now," she confirmed for him. "I never wanted anyone but you. The you then and to get to know the you now. I don't give a damn about anything else, I never did."

"I know. You're going to have to be patient with me," he admitted leaning enough to kiss her cheek.

"I can be patient," she told him as she ran her hands up his chest and around his neck.

"Good..." Horatio pulled her tight against him and kissed her soundly. When he finally pulled back he asked.  "Where are we going?"

"To the beach," she answered knowing he was asking something entirely different.

"Kerri..." he said letting her know he needed an answer that was more than the flippant one she gave.

"I've taken over a gallery in South Beach. For the foreseeable future, I'll be in Miami Thursdays through Sundays," she told him with a chagrined look.

 He laughed because it was the only thing he could do. "Sounds very familiar."

Kerri laughed with him, "It seems to be our lot in life. Can we do it for now?" she asked.

"Give me something to look forward to," he told her with another kiss.

"Me too..." she whispered, "me too Horatio."

"Speaking of looking forward to something," he said leaning back down to kiss her nose.

"What's that?"

"I believe someone had me convinced a walk on the beach was something I wanted to do tonight," he said kissing her forehead.

"Oh yeah..." she asked if he was serious.

"Yeah... I'd like to do that.  You can tell me more about your gallery," he told her taking her hand and leading her toward the door.  She's painted a picture of a beautiful way to spend an evening and he found he wanted to give her that and experience it for himself.


End file.
